Pressroom
2010
Honoring Poland’s Musical Legacy in the 20th Century and a U.S. Premiere
La Jolla, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2010) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fourth concert of the 55th season with Choral Director David Chase conducting orchestra, chorus, and soloists in music from two of Poland’s most notable composers: Karol Szymanowski and Krzysztof Penderecki. Read More
“AMERICAN ACCENTS” OFFERS DVORAK, CHARLES IVES, AND LOU HARRISON’S PIPA CONCERTO WITH SOLOIST WU MAN
La Jolla, Calif. (January 13, 2010) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) on February 6-7 presents a concert of perspectives on and about America: Charles Ives’ Three Places in New England, Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Pipa & String Orchestra with internationally renowned soloist Wu Man on pipa (Chinese lute), and Antonin Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor (New World). LJS&C Music Director Steven Schick conducts. Read More
2009
Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” Makes San Diego Debut with La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
La Jolla, Calif. (November 16, 2009) — Grab your tie-dyes and your love beads and come back to the Age of Aquarius as La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents Leonard Bernstein’s stunning Mass, a San Diego premiere, on December 4, 5 and 6. Described as a theater-piece for singers, players, and dancers, the LJS&C production incorporates classical music, three choruses, two dance sequences, and jazz and rock ensembles. Ken Anderson, director of the UCSD Gospel Choir, performs the lead of the “Celebrant.” Other guest artists joining the orchestra and chorus include the North Coast Singers’ 30-voice children’s choir - Caprice, dancers Alison Dietterle Smith and Tonnie Sammartano, and members of the UCSD Jazz Ensemble. Read More
Hillcrest and Carlsbad Concerts Feature La Jolla Symphony Chorus, Organist Jared Jacobson and A Cappella Ensemble, “Soliphony”
La Jolla, Calif. (November 11, 2009) — On November 21 and 22, the La Jolla Symphony Chorus (LJSC) presents the latest in its Sacred Voices Series, The Mass Project. The two performances feature the 130-voice chorus, a new a cappella ensemble called “Soliphony,” and special guest Jared Jacobson on organ. The Saturday concert is at 7:00 pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Hillcrest. Sunday’s concert begins at 4:00 pm at Carlsbad Community Church in Carlsbad. Read More
55th Season Opens with San Diego Premiere, Bartok and Beethoven
La Jolla, Calif. (October 8, 2009) —On the weekend of October 31-November 1, La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) opens its 55th season with a celebration of songs and dances, offering wonderful examples of each. Bartok’s lively Romanian Folk Dances and Beethoven’s quintessential invitation to the dance, his Seventh Symphony, frame a program that includes three beautiful songs by Argentinean-Israeli-American composer Osvaldo Golijov and Bartok’s white-hot Miraculous Mandarin Suite. Read More
LJS&C Offers an Adventurous New Season – (e)Merging Voices
La Jolla, Calif. (August 27, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C)announces its 2009-2010 season – (e)Merging Voices. The 55th season highlights the ensemble’s 120-voice chorus on three of the six concert weekends in major choral works as varied as Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, with its brash mix of classical music and pop culture, and Benjamin Britten’s monumental War Requiem. The season also brings different “voices” in the musical world to local audiences, including Chinese pipa player Wu Man and Grammy-award winning soprano Susan Narucki in their debut performances with the LJS&C. Read More
Emmy Win for Philip Glass Concert Documentary
La Jolla, Calif. (June 16, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) and UCSD-TV’s co-production of “La Jolla Symphony & Chorus: Philip Glass’ Cello Concerto” received an Emmy Award in the Entertainment--Program or Special category at the June 13 ceremony in San Diego. UCSD-TV’s Arts and Humanities Producer John Menier accepted the award. Read More
The “DNA of Music” Season Concludes in “Hope” with Mahler’s Mighty Symphony No. 2
La Jolla, Calif. (May 11, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its final concert of the season on the weekend of June 6-7, 2009, concluding a season-long exploration of the DNA of Music with “Hope.” Music Director Steven Schick conducts the orchestra, chorus, and guest artists soprano Laurinda Nikkel and mezzo-soprano Martha Jane Weaver in Gustav Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2, “The Resurrection.” Read More
Cellist Maya Beiser and U.S. Premiere Highlight May 2-3 Concerts
La Jolla, Calif. (April 9, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fifth in the DNA of Music series with a concert titled Passion. Music Director Steven Schick conducts orchestra, chorus, and special guests in a program that features acclaimed cellist Maya Beiserperforming Elgar’s Cello Concerto, the U.S. premiere of The General drawn from music by Beethoven with text by noted music critic Paul Griffiths,and Beethoven’s moving Elegy for chorus and string orchestra. Read More
“Music & Art in the Afternoon” at Encinitas Library
La Jolla, Calif. (March 31, 2009) — The first in a series of music and art events in support of music education is being presented by the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C). “Music & Art in the Afternoon” will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Encinitas Library. Read More
Rare Concert Staging of Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” Plus Holst and Debussy
La Jolla, Calif. (February 23, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fourth concert of the 54th season continuing a season-long exploration of the “DNA of Music.” In this concert we explore the theme of “Perspective” as Choral Director David Chase conducts an extraordinary program that engages a cast of soloists and divides the chorus in two. Read More
"The Motet Project" Offers Retrospective of Sacred Choral Music
La Jolla, Calif. (January 7, 2009) - La Jolla Symphony Chorus presents and performs The Motet Project - a series of six motets that surveys sacred choral music from the Renaissance to 20th century - at San Rafael Parish Catholic Church, Rancho Bernardo, on Sunday, February 22 at 4:00 pm. Read More
Rare Concert Staging of Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” Plus Holst and Debussy
La Jolla, Calif. (January 7, 2009) - The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fourth concert of the 54th season continuing a season-long exploration of the “DNA of Music.” In this concert we explore the theme of “Perspective” as Choral Director David Chase conducts an extraordinary program that engages a cast of soloists and divides the chorus in two. Read More
A Celebration of the Lincoln-Darwin Bicentennial
La Jolla, Calif. (January 6, 2009) - La Jolla Symphony Chorus continues a season-long exploration of the DNA of Music in a concert titled "Home," with special guests Cecil Lytle and Renee Calvo. Read More
2008
LJS&C New Sacred Voices Series
La Jolla, Calif. (November 13, 2008) - The La Jolla Symphony Chorus introduces The Motet Project, tracing the development of choral music from the renaissance to the 20th century through six motets. Read More
LJS&C December 6-7 Concert "Motion"
La Jolla, Calif. (November 13, 2008) - Steven Schick conducts an extraordinary concert featuring works by Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and a West Coast premiere by Evan Ziporyn. Joining us are Evan Ziporyn, Tijuana dance troupe Lux Boreal, and Young Artists Winner Margaret Zhou performing Shostakovich’s “Cello Concerto.” For more information. Read More
LJS&C Launches 54th season
La Jolla, Calif. (October 6, 2008) - The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its first concert of the 54th season the first weekend of November. Music Director Steven Schick, conducting, will take the audience around the world and through different conceptions of time, part of a season-long exploration of the "DNA of Music" the fundamental building blocks of the musical experience. On the program: Bedrich Smetana's Vltava ("The Moldau"), Toru Takemitsu's From me flows what you call Time, and Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 2.
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LJS&C Legendary Choral Conductor-Composer Alice Parker Leads Concert and Community “Sing” in North County
La Jolla, Calif. (July 28, 2008) - The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents a once-in-a-lifetime choral event – the “Alice Parker Festival” -- at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carlsbad. The Festival begins with a performance of Parker’s Melodious Accord, sung by a consortium of six community, school and church choruses, followed by a “Sing” for the entire audience. Both the choral performance and Sing are led by Alice Parker. Read More
LJS&C Mourns Death of Music Director Emeritus Thomas Nee
La Jolla, Calif. (July 14, 2008) - Thomas Nee, who led the La Jolla Symphony for 31 seasons and in that time transformed the orchestra from a modest community ensemble into a semi-professional orchestra , died July 7, in Encinitas, Calif., after a brief illness. He was 87. Read More
Season Concludes in Light with Strauss' "Death & Transfiguration," plus Haydn, Varèse, and the 2008 Thomas Nee Commission
La Jolla, Calif. (May 19, 2008) - A season that began in light concludes in light as Music Director Steven Schick leads the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) in a concert highlighted by Richard Strauss' Death and Transfiguration, a moving tone-poem about the transfiguration of the human soul. The program opens with the energetic Symphony No. 102 by Franz Joseph Haydn followed by Offrandes—the LJS&C's first performance of music by that great American maverick Edgard Varese, featuring soprano Stephanie Aston. Also on this concert is the premiere of Snow in June by this year's recipient of the Thomas Nee Commission, Taiwanese-born Kueiju Lin. Read More
Two Symphonies from Prague and from Alaska, Dark Waves
La Jolla, Calif. (April 10, 2008) - The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fifth concert on the 53rd season in May. Music Director Steven Schick leads the orchestra with two symphonies from Prague: Mozart's Symphony No. 38 written as a salute to the city that had welcomed him so warmly, and from the same city a century later, Dvořák's dark and dramatic Seventh Symphony. The program also features John Luther Adams' Dark Waves, the second Adams' piece performed by the LJS&C this season. Adams will be in attendance at the concert and pre-concert lecture. Read More
LJS&C 2008–2009 Season Announced; The DNA of Music
La Jolla, Calif. (March 13, 2008) - The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) announces its 2008–09 season—The DNA of Music. The 54th season is one of collaboration, a U.S. and world premiere, exciting guest artists, composers in residence, and an inspiring concert in recognition of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday anniversary and Black History month. Read More
From "Symphony of Psalms" to "Inner Voices," LJS&C Presents a Program of Introspection
La Jolla, Calif. (February 21, 2008) - The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus's (LJS&C) fourth concert of the season, titled "The Inward Gaze," Music Director Steven Schick leads the ensemble in a program of unusual variety. The concert begins with UCSD composer Chinary Ung's Inner Voices followed by Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 6, and the Andante for Strings by American composer Ruth Crawford Seeger. The program concludes with chorus and orchestra in Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms. Read More
Winners of the 2008 La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Young Artists Competition Announced
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) announces the winners of its 49th Young Artists Competition, which was held January 26, 2008. A total of 8 prizes were awarded in instrumental and vocal categories. First-place instrumental went to 16-year-old cellist Margaret Zhou, who lives in San Diego and attends Westview High School. Margaret has studied cello for 10 years and is principal cello in the Civic Youth Orchestra. First-place vocal went to 28-year-old mezzo-soprano Victoria Robertson, also of San Diego. Victoria attended the University of California, San Diego for her undergraduate studies and is now a graduate student in music at San Diego State University. Read more
Berlioz, Prokofiev and Contemporary Composer Ingram Marshall Highlight LJS&C Concert
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its third concert of the 53rd season on February 9-10. Music Director Steven Schick conducts the orchestra in a program that begins with Ingram Marshall's stunning Kingdom Come and the lyrical Violin Concerto No. 1 by Sergei Prokofiev, featuring 2007 Young Artists Competition winner Pasha Tseitlin. The program concludes with Hector Berlioz's exciting and revolutionary Symphonie Fantastique. Read more
2007
Berlioz' Christmas Oratorio Offers Magic of the Season
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its second concert of the 53rd season in December. Choral Director David Chase takes the podium to lead the orchestra, chorus, and guest artists in the magical L'Enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ) by Hector Berlioz, a Christmas oratorio that tells the story of the flight into Egypt by Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus. Read more
53rd Season Opens to Sold-Out Crowd, Accolades, and a Champagne Reception
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) and new Music Director Steven Schick kicked off the season with a sold-out opening-night performance on Saturday, November 3, featuring the American premiere of Philip Glass's Cello Concerto with cellist Wendy Sutter, John Luther Adams' The Light that Fills the World, and Beethoven's Fourth Symphony. Read more
Music Director Debuts with American Premiere of Philip Glass "Cello Concerto"
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) and new Music Director Steven Schick kick off an outstanding season that showcases living composers and includes some of the best symphonic repertoire throughout history. The season opens on November 3-4 with the American premiere of Philip Glass's Cello Concerto, featuring cellist Wendy Sutter. The Academy Award-nominated composer will attend the premiere as part of his 70th birthday year of celebration. The program begins with the luminous music of Alaskan composer John Luther Adams in The Light that Fills the World. Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, which completes the Beethoven cycle for the LJS&C, concludes the concert. More
LJS&C 2007 - 2008 Season Announced; Opens with Philip Glass American Premiere
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) announces its 2008-2009 Season featuring an American Premiere, exciting guest artists, and guest appearances by some of America's most notable composers. The LJS&C's 53rd season will be the first under the leadership of Music Director Steven Schick, who describes the programming as lush and inviting, creating a linkage between the great works of the past and enticing new directions. More
Steven Schick Named Music Director of the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) today announced it has named Steven Schick, percussionist and professor of music at University of California, San Diego, as its new Music Director. Concluding an international search and selection process that took nearly two years, LJS&C Board President Amee Wood summarized the choice of Schick as exciting and "the best fit for our organization." More
La Jolla Symphony Chorus Performs Rarely-Heard Vespers by Sergei Rachmaninoff
The La Jolla Symphony Chorus (LJSC), conducted by Choral Director David Chase, presents Sergei Rachmaninoff's choral masterpiece, All Night Vigil, also known as Vespers, in two concerts in April. More
Announcing our 2007 Young Artists Competition Winners!
The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus announces the winners of its 48th annual Young Artists Competition, held January 27 on the University of California, San Diego campus. More
2006
LJSCA Announces Finalists for Music Director
Following a year-long international search of candidates to serve as the next Music Director, the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Association has selected five finalists who will each lead a regular-season concert program over the next year. More
